


How Do I Breathe Without You

by robertstanion



Series: TGWDLM fics [4]
Category: The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals - Team StarKid
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Angst, F/F, F/M, Fluff, From babies to adults, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-20
Updated: 2019-07-20
Packaged: 2020-07-09 11:27:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,898
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19886854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/robertstanion/pseuds/robertstanion
Summary: She fell in love first.He didn't understand love until he almost lost it-Basically Paul and Emma's relationships through the years, pre-apotheosis, apotheosis, post-apotheosis





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> TW:  
> Abuse, suicidal thoughts FROM THE START  
> -  
> Also AU where Emma was present in Hatchetfield for Jane's death.  
> Also AU where Jane dies when Emma was 17.  
> also an AU where Paul has a brother who died. it's something I enjoy headcanonning.

She stumbled around town, vision blurred, at the age of 16. At the age of 16 and she was no ordinary girl. No. No this girl was suffering and she had nowhere to turn. It was the middle of the day and she had nothing but a bag and the money her sister had given her. Not even a home anymore. She was fighting tears. She couldn't fight those tears anymore. She was just stumbling around Hatchetfield helplessly. And then she saw it. No, not it. Her end. She shut her eyes. She wasn't wanted anymore. She had no family. She'd been alive for 16 years, she didn't need a seventeenth. She threw her rucksack over her shoulder. She approached the building, the tallest in Hatchetfield, to be precise. It was getting dark. The cops here were shitty. She didn't need to be alive anymore. Nobody wanted her. She approached the rusted ladder, which appeared unstable but was actually extremely stable. Her bag slid off her shoulder again and she just left it like that. She wouldn't need it. She had her whole fucking life ahead of her and yet she didn't want it. This was the final push. She swung her leg on top of the building and walked to the edge. "Well, Hatchetfield. I'd say it was fun but your economy is a shit hole, Hatchetfield High isn't much better, my parents tried to take any of Jane's bad actions out on me and now I'm homeless. Goodbye Hatchetfield, once and for all. Tell your cops to sort the drugs out instead of smoking them themselves." She said about to step over. Behind her she heard a voice. 

"Don't do it." Emma paused. Someone had seen her. 

"Listen buddy, I literally have nothing to live for, so if you wouldn't mind I-" but he spoke again. 

"Please. Don't jump. There are better things than jumping. There's a 40% chance you'll die if you jump, and a 60% you'll be hospitalised with injuries."

"Well I'm taking the 40 percent." She rolled her eyes. She went to take another step. If she did she'd fall. "Listen why do you care?"

"You're not the first person I've tried to save from this sort of death. And it didn't succeed. He passed. So please, I don't want to witness another person jump." She paused. They'd seen someone with the same fate as her...die the same way as her. If she died. She sighed and backed away from the edge, shaking slightly. 

"Welp. Back to the streets I go seeing as I'm a homeless piece of crap. Bye buddy." She said, walking past them. She then went full speed. She'd jump off this building one way or another. She went to jump when she felt herself being pulled back. They pulled her underneath the roof light where she finally got a good look at the person. Male, tall, kind-faced, wide eyed, brunette. 

"You're homeless?" He asked. He also appeared, from the clothes he was wearing, that he was pretty well off when it came to money. 

"Wasn't an hour ago. But now I am." Emma was stubborn. She didn't like strangers. Why couldn't he let her jump? Anyone else would have. Nobody cared about her. This was just one guy. The bad cancelled out the good. But...he was proof somebody cared about her. And the good was slowly starting to weigh out the bad, which seemed impossible, but it was happening. They'd only just met and he prevented a suicide. A suicide for someone who he'd never met before, and could possibly be a mass murderer, which she most definitely was not. But he didn't know that. They were both strangers to each other, yet she seemed to put her full trust in him, which was weird for Emma, because she hated new people. New people except him. 

"I...have a spare place at my place if you'd like to stay there...for a while..." he said, blushing? Was he embarrassed. 

"How do I know you're not a psychopath." She said bluntly, joking, but somewhat serious still. 

"Because a psychopath would have laughed at your dead body after you'd jumped. And I rescued you. And I'm also extremely scared of heights and I would appreciate if we get to the lower floor as soon as possible..." She nodded. 

"Alright. I'll stay with you." She smiled, half sarcastic, half meaningful. She threw her rucksack back on to her shoulder and climbed down the ladder with him following. "Oh, I'm Emma Perkins, by the way."

"Paul Matthews."

* * *

"JUST FUCK OFF!" Emma said, tears filled with rage falling down her face at a rapid pace. She held the phone to her ear. 

_Emma I swear they did't mean it_ the other voice spoke through the other end, but Emma cut it off. 

"NO JANE JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE A HOME TO CALL YOUR OWN, JUST BECAUSE YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN THEIR FAVOURITE, JUST BECAUSE YOU NEVER GOT BLAMED FOR THE THINGS YOU DID. YOU FAILED TO SEE ME AS A SISTER. YOU CLAIMED TO AND YOU DIDN'T. YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW MANY TIMES THEY HAVE VERBALLY AND PHYSICALLY ABUSED ME FOR YOUR ACTIONS. YES YOUR ACTIONS. NO I'M SICK OF HEARING YOU STICK UP FOR THEM WHEN THEY ARE TOXIC PEOPLE- NO! SHUT UP! JANE I DON'T CARE WHAT THEY SAY THEY CAN COME AND FIND ME IF THEY WANT BUT I'M NOT GOING BACK-Wait...wait they're...they're coming to find me? No..No they can't do that." She laughed shakily. "Please say you're joking. They...you're joking....Jane say you're joking..." but Jane wasn't joking. Emma's parents were coming for her, and coming quick. She hung up in frustration and fear, slamming the phone back into it's holder. She sank to the floor in the corner of the room, holding her head in her hands. She believed she was safe, yet that was a lie. What could Paul do against her parents? She was shaking extremely hard. She didn't realise how loud she was until she heard a knock at the bedroom door. "Fuck off." She mumbled, trying to hide the obvious fact that she was, indefinitely crying. 

"My parents wanted me to check on you." Paul. She sighed a sigh of relief. She was always tense when she was on call with Jane. She couldn't help it. He walked into the room and shut the door. He paused before deciding to approach the girl. She'd only been living in this house for a few weeks, but it was undeniable that her and Paul's bond was already strong. He sat in front of her. "Want to talk about it?"

"My parents. They're coming to find me. They're coming to find me and when they do they're going to hurt me so so bad and I won't be able to do anything about it..."

"How did they know you were here?"

"My fucking sister told them the address I was staying at." 

"Right...um...okay...okay uh...I'll be back..." he said and ran out the room leaving Emma alone yet again. He returned. "Okay sorry I had to double check something. So the date is the 20th of July. You know what this means?" She shook her head, not looking up. "It's 7 AM, you're scared. But we're going to Guatamala today for a week. The four of us. We'll be away for a week. You're safe." She removed her hands from her head and looked at Paul. 

"And you're being serious?"

"Never been more serious in my life." She smiled at him.

"I forgot that was today..."

"Come on. Lets go now so we can be on time." She nodded, standing up. The problem was she was still shaky and could barely walk. 

"Uh...Paul?"

"Yeah, Emma?"

"I..I'm struggling to walk and oh my god this is embarrassing for me to ask but...can you maybe help me walk to the car?" He paused on the spot.

"Yeah. Yeah I can do that." She bit the inside of her lip hard but nodded. She grabbed her bag and Paul helped her to the car. To any normal person, you'd think they were dating. To any sane person you'd realise that they were like siblings. But to the Matthews family, Emma was the person Paul needed to help him recover from the loss of his brother. 

* * *

Emma walked in from school laughing her ass off. "Hey Mr and Mrs Matthews, guess what. Sycamore and HH are having a joint prom this year and...and fucking...wait shit excuse my language...and fucking-" she burst into another fit of laughter. "And Karl Platz asked me to the dance! Fucking Karl Platz! That little midget kid from first year!" The two smiled at the happiness of the girl. Paul walked down the stairs. 

"Is...Emma okay?" He asked, concerned. 

"No. Karl Platz asked me to Sycamore and HH's joint prom today."

"Sycamore and HH are having a joint prom?" Paul asked, oblivious. Emma walked over to him and punched his arm. 

"You're so fucking oblivious sometimes you realise that? Yes Sycamore and Hatchetfield High are having a joint prom. You just don't wear your glasses enough mister." She smirked, walking around him and going upstairs. 

"Oh I'm so going to get you for that Emma Perkins-" Paul said and started running up the stairs. Emma screamed and ran full speed into her room. She shut the door, but he opened it. He went to tickle her but she ran behind him and kicked his legs so he fell face forwards on to her bed. She knelt on top of him, in a non-sexual way. He turned around and screamed. Emma laughed. He was adorable. Wait. No. No he was adorable _as a friend_ right? Because she definitely didn't have an extremely strong urge to kiss him while she had the chance. No. She definitely was not developing a crush on her best friend. Her only friend. She couldn't. "Emma? Can you get off of me?" Paul asked with a smile as his eyebrows were furrowed. 

"Oh...shit yeah sorry." She said climbing off him and rolling on to her side. Why was her heart going this quick? It shouldn't be going this quick.

"So. Hatchetfield High and Sycamore are having a joint prom huh?" He asked, sitting up. 

"Yep." She said, popping the p, remaining lying down. 

"Well I'm a tall awkward dork who-"

"Forgets to wear his glasses."

"One, offended. Two, not what I was going to say. I'm a tall awkward dork who literally nobody likes at school so, Emma Perkins, do you want to go to this joint prom with me as a friend." Paul turned his head to look at her. Emma's heart stopped momentarily and sank when he said _as a friend._ Yep. This was a crush she wouldn't get out of easily. She wanted it to be more, yet apparently he didn't. 

"Uh...uh yeah sure! Sure that would be great!" She replied as confidently as possible, hiding her heartbreak. 

"Okay cool!" He smiled, standing up. "Oh, and by the way Em, I already knew the prom was happening. It just makes my day when I see you pissed."

"Oh actually fuck off or I'm gonna take Karl Platz-"

"You wouldn't dare."

"Wanna fucking go?" She smiled. Yeah. It wouldn't be too bad having a crush on Paul, she thought. 

* * *

"Do I look good enough?" She asked herself as she admired herself in the mirror. She'd actually let her hair down for once revealing her naturally curled waist length hair that was in desperate need of a cut. She wore a tealish dress that reached the floor and wore small heeled shoes to accompany it. She'd gone for makeup consisting of golds and pale pinks that enhanced the brightness of her green eyes. She was so nervous for this because she had a crush on Paul and she wanted to look good for Paul and if she didn't...she didn't know why she was letting her train of thought go this way, but it was. She checked the time. "Shit!" She said. She was going to be late if she didn't move her ass now. She grabbed her phone and her bag. Not her rucksack, her "fancy bag" which was actually a small purse with a handle. but according to Paul it was a handbag gone mini. She walked down the stairs as quick as she could without breaking her ankles and saw Paul waiting at the front door. _God damn,_ she thought. He'd combed his hair for once and was in a neat brown suit. His glasses were also on his face. And he seemed deadly attractive to her. Scarily attractive. "Mr Matthews." She smiled, walking towards the taller boy. 

"Miss Perkins, looking delightful as per usual."

"Thank you for the blessed compliment." She said, looking up at him. "Now may I remind you if we do not leave this house right now we are going to be late." 

"Oh shoot yeah- MOM! DAD!" Paul called. And soon they were in the car on their way to Hatchetfield High. The only reason the prom was happening at HH was because the hall was considerable larger than the one at Sycamore. She was in a world of her own. Her, dancing with Paul. She felt like the luckiest girl in the world. And she couldn't tell him because it would ruin their friendship for eternity. They arrived and the elder members of the Matthews household drove away. The two entered the venue. "Shit! I don't have the tickets!" Emma rolled her eyes and produced the two tickets from her purse. 

"Bless Emma Perkins and her fancy bag."

"Paul, it is literally just a bag with a handle it's nothing special."

"Yeah. Nothing special to a girl. Pretty special to a guy like me." She rolled her eyes and handed the secretary the tickets. They were let in. They quickly found a table and sat down at it. They were here to have fun. To mess about. Not to do much else. He went to order drinks and she nodded at him as he left her alone. She rested her elbow on the table and her chin in the palm of her hand, slowly falling more in love with him than ever. He returned with drinks. When the two finished, the song When I Was Your Man by Bruno Mars came on. Emma had a glimmer of hope in her eyes that Paul didn't notice. 

"Paul?"

"What, Emma? Is everything okay?"

"Can we dance? I love this song." She said, a small blush hidden by the darkness of the room forming on her cheeks. 

"Really? Any guy here and you want to dance with me?"

"Uh, yeah. Because may I remind you, you were the one who asked me to this dance in the first place." he paused. 

"Yeah that checks out." He said standing up and holding out his hand. She smiled and took it, an electric spark spreading through her hand. He guided her to the dance floor. "Emma I don't know how to dance."

"Oh shut up you tall dork you will in a minute." She smiled as she rested her head against his chest, holding his hand, her other hand resting on his upper back. The two swayed in time with the music and she was having the time of her life. The two danced until their feet hurt to which they sat back down, laughing. As the night drew to a close, the two were in a state of utter euphoria. They were together as friends but it didn't matter. They had the time of their lives. 

* * *

Emma put the phone down. It was a year since Paul and Emma's prom. A year since the crush incident. It still hadn't gone away. She didn't know how to get it to leave, but it wouldn't. And here she was, tears falling down her face. She didn't know why this affected her so much. It's not like Jane ever cared about her. But now Jane was gone. The only family member who cared about her. Gone. Because of a fucking drunk driver. "Jane..." she whispered through tears. She was suddenly consumed with utter rage. She got up and ran towards the currently open bedroom door and slamming it shut before her fist met the oak of her closet. It stung, but she wouldn't stop. 

Paul heard the slam and knew something was up instantly. He walked to her room and opened the door and saw her hurting herself. "Emma stop!" He said, grabbing her arms and pulling them behind her back, pulling her against him. She spun around and pulled him into a hug, burying her face into his shirt. "Hey...hey what's wrong?" he asked, holding her and leading her to sitting down. 

"She's dead. My sister's fucking dead because of a fucking drunk driver and I never got to see her again and she's gone and she's the only one who cared about me and she's gone and she's gone and Paul-" she said before bursting into tears. Paul understood her grief. He'd lost a brother too. He met the same fate as Emma almost did. He tried to stop him...but his brother still jumped. His brother hit the 40%, cracking his neck and dying instantly. Paul held Emma's head with one hand and her torso with the other. 

"Em that's terrible. Okay you don't need to talk. Just let yourself cry. It's gonna be hard for a while, I should know."

"Why would you know?"

"It's...something I'd prefer not to talk about if that's okay with you?" She nodded, still crying. "And it hurt for ages. I'm still not entirely over it now. But at least you have someone to help you through it. I had my parents and that was it. You have my parents and me." He said comforting things until she fell asleep. And he continued afterwards because he was oblivious she'd fallen asleep on him. He looked down at her. God she was amazing. She was the best person in his life. And he could quite happily say today was the day he confirmed he had a crush on her. He lay her on her bed and tucked her in. He kissed her cheek to which she smiled slightly. Was she awake? No. No she was stone cold out. "Night Emma." he whispered, turning her light off and leaving, his heart rate going about 5000 miles per hour. He'd kissed her. Because he liked her more than a friend. If only she felt the same way. 

* * *

As time progressed, Paul soon decided he wanted to move out. He decided he'd take Emma with him. So there he was, packing to leave his childhood home, with the girl he loved. A smile plastered on his face as Emma finished loading her things in the moving truck. They waved goodbye and got into Paul's car. By now, the two were 25, which was quite a bit older than 16. Emma sat in the car besides Paul. She was essentially moving in with him. She didn't think she could keep this crush a secret any longer. She'd had it for nine years and nothing had been done. But she did know for a fact Paul kissed her the night Jane died. And she'd kept that a secret too. So she sat in the front besides Paul staring out the window. She sighed. 

"What's wrong?" Paul asked, driving. 

"It's nothing..." 

"Well it's something if you're sighing." She shut her eyes. 

"You're gonna crash the car if I tell you now." 

"I'm pretty sure I won't."

"Wanna try that theory?" he nodded. "Alright then. I've liked you for 9 years, I know you kissed me the night Jane died and PAUL WHAT ARE YOU DOING-" She shouted as he swerved. Her heart went a million times an hour. They were almost in a car crash. That's how Jane died. A car crash. And she was almost in one. "Pull over." She said. 

"Emma I-"

"PULL! OVER!" She said, tears in her eyes, facing Paul. He looked at her for a brief second before pulling to the side of the road. She immediately unlocked the door and got out, feeling a lot safer away from the car. She sat on the side of the road, wiping her tears away. Paul joined her. 

"Come here." he said holding out his arm. She shuffled towards him and he wrapped an arm around her. "I'm sorry Em I should have been paying more attention to the road-"

"It's fine." She sniffed. She felt safe in the comfort of Paul's arms.

"You knew I kissed you? All these years and you never thought to tell me?" She smiled. 

"Yeah. Yeah I did." She looked up at him. "Paul I mean it I-I've liked you for 9 years and you're the only person who gave a shit about me and-"

"Shhh...shh it's okay. I like you too. Exactly the way you're thinking." Emma's eyes widened. 

"Oh...Wait. What does that make us then?"

"Hopefully you can be my girlfriend?" She nodded. 

"Yeah that would be nice." Before he could think, she kissed his cheek. "Got you back." She said pushing Paul's arm off of her and standing up. "Let's go home."


	2. Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just more fluff really and then hopefully some angst.   
> -  
> time doesn't exist. therefore Alice is actually 17 but I can't Maths.

Paul came home after a successful job interview. He saw Emma lying on the couch in her uniform for the small coffee shop called Beanies. She didn't notice he was there until he flicked the top of her head. "PAUL!" She screamed, sitting bolt upright. He didn't have a chance to get away as she grabbed his tie and pulled his face close to hers. "Did you get the job?" She asked, tilting her head. He tilted his head too. 

"Might have done." She squealed with excitement and kissed his cheek. 

"I'm so proud of you!" She said jumping up and clinging to his body, her legs wrapped around him. 

"Jesus christ Em, give me some warning before you do that next time." She rested her head in the crook of his neck. 

"Yeah, but I am the element of surprise." He rolled his eyes and sat down next to him. 

"How was Beanies?" 

"Annoying as shit." She sighed, detaching herself from him and falling next to him. "Assholes think we're starbucks or something." 

"My job starts next week. CCRP Technical."

"That place gets paid a shit ton Paul! Why do dorks always get paid the most?" She huffed, crossing her arms and resting her legs on Paul. 

"I am not a dork, Emma."

"That is highly debatable."

"You can talk anyways little miss prom queen."

"Um, that was a great night and you know it."

"Yeah I do know it." He smiled. They were at peace. 

* * *

They were at peace, correct, but not for long. That peace soon faded pretty quickly. A few weeks after, Emma became curious. Paul always mentioned the other guy who jumped and it seemed to hurt him when he spoke about it, and she wanted to change that. So when Paul came home that night and they were cuddling on the couch, she decided to confront him about it. "Paul, can I ask you a question?"

"Of course, love." He smiled down at her. 

"Who...who was the other guy?" The smile faded and he removed his arm from around her. 

"I've asked you not to bring the other guy up. You know I'm not comfortable talking about it." She rested a hand on his forearm. 

"It's obviously hurting you. You're grieving. In order for you to recover, possibly not fully but more than you are now, you need to talk to me about it." He pushed her hand away and looked away from her. 

"It's not happening." Emma frowned. 

"Paul...please. It's obviously still upsetting you."

"Can we drop the subject please?!" He said getting slightly frustrated. Usually Emma would. Tonight she wouldn't. 

"No. I'm not going to drop it. I'm asking you politely. I have been honest as hell to you, I've told you everything that's hurt me and you haven't! I want to know!"

"I want don't get!" Paul replied. 

"For fucks sake Paul why can't you tell me!"

"Because you can't make me!" He said. He couldn't talk about the loss of his brother. It still hurt. 

"No. I can't. But I want to know so I can help you recover!"

"Oh yeah what's the real reason?!" 

"That is the real reason!"

"Oh I'm fucking sure!"

"Paul stop it! It was just a question!"

"It's not just a question to me! You try watching your brother climb up that ladder, you watch your brother ignore your desperate pleads to help him, to nurture him, to get him the help he needs. You try watching your brother becoming the 40% and hearing his neck snap as he hit the ground! You try being me climbing down that ladder, praying he was still alive and having the last interaction of me and him being seconds before he commits suicide!" He shouted. Emma paused. 

"Paul-"

"Drop. It." he said, walking to the spare room and shutting the door. 

Emma paused. Paul had a brother? That's why Paul knew what to do when he saw Emma on the building. That's why he didn't stop fighting. Because he didn't want to see someone have the same fate as his brother. She sighed. She knocked on the door. "Paul? Hun? I'm sorry. I...I had no idea I...I shouldn't have pressured you into saying that. I can see why it's hurt you. If you don't want me around because I'm a reminder of what happened...that's okay." She sighed.

"You can't change the past, Emma. So what's the point in trying!" His voice shouted from behind the door, slightly shaking. 

"I'm not trying to change anything. Change anything except us not fighting. Paul? Can I come in? Please."

"I don't want you seeing me like this..."

"Well I'm gonna have to at some point." She said opening the door. He was sat on the window sill, his legs hanging out the window. "Paul!" She shouted.

"Em I'm not gonna push myself off the edge. It's okay." He said, not turning to face her. He took his glasses off and put them next to him. He made a motion implying he was crying. 

"Paul are you..."

"Yep." Emma bit the inside of her lip as he turned around. "I'm sorry I should have told you sooner."

"Oh be quiet. You didn't have to tell me anything." She said, walking over to him. He climbed off the window sill and back into the room. "And I'm sorry I made you. But it's okay. It's gonna be okay." He nodded as she reached up and gently grabbed his face. The song Because Of You by Kelly Clarkson came on the radio ages ago, but when it hit the final chorus, the major "BECAUSE OF YOU" the two kissed. The two shared their first official kiss. He shut his eyes, tears still falling down his face, but Emma didn't seem to mind. Emma didn't seem to care. When they finally pulled away, Emma rested her head against Paul's chest. "I love you, Paul Matthews, don't you ever think otherwise."

"I love you too, Emma Perkins."

* * *

"Paul!" Emma said suddenly. 

"Yes, darling?" He said, looking up from his book. 

"Lets go on a cruise!" 

"A cruise?"

"Yeah! Because then we can go dancing and pretend we're on the titanic-"

"You just want to go dancing don't you?"

"...maybe." He rolled his eyes and smiled. 

"Emma Perkins, would you like to go on a date with me dancing tonight at the county hall with Bill and his wife?" He said, producing two tickets from his bag. 

"Oh god I love you."

"I know you do." He smiled. And with that, they went. Emma in a red dress, Paul in a brown suit. 

"Paul, do you own any other coloured suit besides brown." Emma asked, linking her arm with Paul's. 

"Yes I do, but I just prefer brown." Emma shook her head. She walked in and saw Bill with his wife and a baby. 

"Hey Paul. This is Alice, your goddaughter." Bill smiled. Paul widened his eyes. 

"That's Alice?!" He asked, walking over to the baby. He nodded. 

"Here. You can hold her." So Paul had a baby in his arms. Emma smiled sadly. The baby was an understatement. She was actually about 3. And it's all Emma wanted. Then they danced and Emma got caught up in the music and Paul. It was like the prom all over again. And then they went home on a high. A very large high. 

* * *

"Emma Perkins?!" Paul called out. 

"Yes Paul Matthews?!" Emma called, walking back downstairs. 

"Are you ready to go?" Emma nodded. She was wearing a very summery oufit compared to Paul's jeans and shirt. Emma frowned. 

"I'm buying you a new wardrobe." She smiled. He rolled his eyes and slipped a ring in his pocket, linking arms with Emma. She smiled as she rested her head on Paul's arms. It was a summery day. And it was today Paul decided he'd propose. They walked through the forest, nearing Professor Hidgens' place. Emma's botany professor. They turned right there and walked away. They set up a picnic and Paul couldn't help but admire how perfect she was. 

"Hey Emma? Can I ask you a question?"

"Yeah sure babe." She said, she said whilst lying on her back. Paul pulled the ring out. "What ya got in your hand?" She asked, sitting up and shielding her eyes. He got on one knee. "Wait..." Paul held the ring between his fingers. 

"Emma Perkins. The night I saw you on the rooftop when we were 16, I thought you'd be another one of those assholes from Hatchetfield High but you are so much more to me than that. You are my best friend, my partner in crime, my gorgeous girlfriend who always knows what to say. Sure, we've had our ups and downs but who hasn't. I want to spend more ups and downs with you. Emma Perkins, would you like to exchange your surname for Matthews instead?" He smiled. She approached him, crawling on her hands and knees. 

"Mr Matthews, of course I will marry you." She smiled, taking the ring and kissing him. 

* * *

"Shit shit shit shit shit we're getting married today." Paul said sitting bolt upright and turning to face Emma who was half awake. She tiredly finger gunned at him. 

"Yes. We are getting married. And I will no longer need to carry the burden of the Perkins name on my shoulders." He got up and started pacing the room. 

"Something's going to go wrong." he said, slowly convincing himself that. "Something is going to go wrong and then the whole day will be ruined and-" Emma got out of bed and walked towards him, cupping his face. 

"It's going to be okay, babe. I promise. I'm marrying you, you dork. Who'd have thought? But I love you, okay. And I can't wait until I'm Emma Matthews later this evening." He took a deep breathe. 

"Okay. Yeah maybe you're right."

"Of course I am. I'm Emma Matthews." She winked, still half asleep. "Oh! Paul, before you go, can you get me coffee?" he paused. 

"Yeah sure." he smiled, bringing her coffee. 

"Thanks pretty boy. Now go and get ready. I'll meet you at the venue later." Paul smiled and kissed her cheek before grabbing his suit and heading to Bill's. When Paul left, Melissa and Charlotte arrived to help Emma into her wedding dress. They sat her down and did her hair and makeup, managing to run a brush through her hair so it was smooth. They tied it into a neat bun and braided a flower hairpiece into it. Her makeup was subtle pinks and golds to bring out the brightness of her green eyes. Her dress was fairly simple,but it had some layers to it. They were ready to go. 

* * *

"Something's going to go wrong!" Paul said at the aisle, still convinced. Bill shook his head and put a hand on Paul's shoulder. 

"It's gonna be okay yeah? I mean what could go wrong when Emma's father figure lunatic professor, Ted, Charlotte and her husband, Melissa, Alice and her girlfriend and pretty much the entirety of Hatchetfield is here to watch you, Paul Matthews, get married? I mean nobody saw that coming."

"Thanks Bill that's really settling my nerves." Then he saw Melissa in the crowd. _Shit. She was here._ The wedding band started up, playing When I Was Your Man by Bruno Mars. And there she was. She looked stunning. And he was taken aback by her beauty. She seemed to glow as she walked down the aisle and he was gobsmacked. She smiled as he approached him. 

"Hey." She said quietly. 

"Oh my god don't I'm gonna cry." He said and chuckles emerged from the room. The vows were spoken and it was official. They were married.

* * *

At the reception, Emma stood up, taking Paul by surprise. "Emma what are you doing-"

"ATTENTION EVERYONE!" She shouted ignoring Paul's comment. Heads turned towards her. "As you may know, this son of a bitch is my husband!" This caused Paul to go red but he smiled awkwardly and faced the floor. "But he's more than my husband. Take it back to when I was 16! My mom and dad kicked me out of my previous family home. I was homeless, I had nothing. And I tried to kill myself. But this son of a bitch (points to Paul) stopped me. And since then I've been living with him ever since. 3 weeks after moving in with him, my parents almost found me and did almost kill me, but I was able to go on vacation with said Paul in question for a week in Guatemala. And I had the best time there with him. At the end of the year, we went to prom together. As friends! Yes! As friends! By now, I'd already developed mad feelings for him and we danced to the song I walked down the aisle to. He called my purse a magic bag or something. Anyways a year after was when my sister died in a car crash. She did get the justice she deserved and the drunken asshole is still in prison today. And obviously, I was upset about it, and he didn't get me to say anything if I didn't want to. Long story short, I fell asleep on him. As he moved me so I wasn't clinging on to him, I woke up slightly and felt him kiss me. I kept that a secret for 8 years. And I've always been dodgy around cars since Jane's death and essentially Paul almost killed me when I told him that. We started dating that day anyways so it checked out. We've had our highs and lows, literally. Because I want to start a pot farm. That is no secret. For medical purposes only, however. But Paul has been with me through so many key events of my life and I love him to bits and I can't actually tell him how much he means to me because no word in the English language can. So Paul Matthews, I'm elated to call myself your wife." There was a round of applause as she sat down. He wrapped an arm around her. 

"Thanks for embarrassing me in front of hundreds of people."

"Not a problem babe." 

Then it came to dance. "Paul! First dance time!" Emma said, hauling Paul to his feet. He tripped over himself as the key to My Heart Will Go On started playing. 

"Well, at least we aren't actually on the titanic-"

"Shut up Paul and dance with me." She smiled, resting her head on his chest as they danced like they did in high school. It was perfect. 

* * *

A year after was when disaster struck. The literal apocalypse. Sure, she was his wife, but when he came into Beanie's flustered, claiming the world was becoming a musical, she didn't believe him until she saw it herself. And then they almost got off the island and the helicopter crash and she had a pipe through her leg. She couldn't even kiss him for the last time, she just spluttered blood up on to his face. And then he was gone. Gone to save the world. She kissed her wedding ring. "I know you can do it Paul."

3 weeks after she wasn't entirely sure if that was true. She limped out of her hospital room. "Mr Ben Bridges...I'm sorry I don't know a Ben Bridges."

"Well according to our records you knew him quite well. A good friend. PIEP say it became something more." And Colonel Schaffer left. And Paul entered. She looked up. 

"Paul?!" She asked, excitedly, not quite believing her eyes. He smiled, baring his teeth. She limped towards him. "Paul! We made it! We made it!" She said excitedly but was met with

"Emma, I'm sorry, you lost." He was singing. He was gone. She managed to escape somehow. She lost the infected and hid behind a corner. She finally let herself cry, silently sobbing. And then she saw it. A building similar to that of the one in Hatchetfield. Her first attempt failed. Maybe this one wouldn't. She slowly hauled herself up the ladder. Tears falling down her face, she went to jump but was also met with a 

"Don't jump." Emma spun around. What was he doing here? Come to infect her? Kill her? Worse, maybe lie to her?! 

"Fuck off and let me die! You're dead! You said you'd make it out alive! You fucking lied to me! We were married and you let yourself go!"

"Yes I know I am definitely dead and definitely not speaking to you right now." he was being sarcastic because he was talking and not singing. Wait. 

"I don't believe you!" She said turning back around to face the depths of the fall. 

"What can I do to prove it's me?!" 

"You can't do anything! You're infected! You're here to kill me!" Then she heard a smashing of glass and the solar panels were to shards. Curiously, she turned around to face him. He rolled his sleeve up more and cut his arm. Red blood. He outstretched his arm to show proof. She gingerly looked. 

"Red." he clarified. Tears fell at a quicker pace than before. He walked towards her, pulling her away from the rooftop. He kissed her cheek. "I'm sorry Emma I had to sing to blend in with the other infected otherwise they would have killed me and then they'd have killed you. Listen, me and Melissa have gotten ourselves a place in Colorado and I was asked to take you with me? Wait...I'm not infected-"

"I know that now..."

"But it's okay. PIEP are gonna drive us so you can cry as much as you want on the way there." She nodded again. He helped her down. He'd saved her twice. Thrice including the infected. He was still here. 

* * *

A few months passed and Paul found Emma on the bathroom floor. "Feeling any better?" He asked, setting a glass of water besides her. She shook her head. 

"Why did we agree to start a family anyways?" Paul shrugged and sat next to her. 

"Maybe because you wanted to get over the fact you lost Alice-"

"Correction, you lost Alice and she was your goddaughter..." Paul ran a hand through his hair. 

"Yeah...maybe because essentially we were Alice's second parents and we decided to be parents of our own?"

"I'm gonna throw up again." 

"Oh okay-" Paul said, holding on to Emma's shoulders, keeping her hair behind her back. She flushed the toilet, tears in her eyes. 

"Make it stop." She sniffed. 

"I can't Emma. I wish I could. You know I'd do anything to help your emetephobia."

"Paul I hate this!" She cried. 

"Hey. It's gonna be worth it."

* * *

And it was. When Emma went into labour, Paul was there for her, holding her hand. And it was even more worth it when they saw their daughter for the first time. It hurt to hear Emma screaming. He wanted to take the pain away. But there she was. Their daughter. "Paul she's tiny." Emma admired, looking down lovingly at the baby. 

"Wonder where she got that from." Emma slapped him playfully. 

"Welcome to the world, Robin Alice Matthews." Emma smiled as the baby opened her bright blue eyes. Emma looked up. "Oh don't say you're crying now too. Let me cry for once."

"Oh shut up Emma it's an important day."

"You mean the 16th October? Our kids birthday?"

"Okay now I am crying." 

"Do you wanna hold Robin?" Emma asked. "She's your kid too." Paul nodded. Emma placed the tiny baby in Paul's arms. The baby looked like a doll compared to Paul's massive figure. "I love you, Emma Matthews."

"And I love you."

* * *

End


End file.
